Asking this BB question for a friend...Thanks in advance for your help

[Uncle Adolph]

How many 64 yr old men have you met in life who have had much success in their field have been willing to change the way they do things, operate etc
As we get older we get more set in our ways and will not change at that stage in our lives. Not mentioning any names.

 

[bthaunert]

In the coaching world, Nick Saban is a big answer for this. But he was a great coach for a reason...he knew when it was time to adapt.

 

[CRZ4UK]

How many 64 yr old men have you met in life who have had much success in their field have been willing to change the way they do things, operate etc
As we get older we get more set in our ways and will not change at that stage in our lives. Not mentioning any names.

I’ve only seen one guy in my life change like you are describing. I never in a million years thought this guy could do an about face like that. It’s possible, not likely.

 

[Uncle Adolph]

In the coaching world, Nick Saban is a big answer for this. But he was a great coach for a reason...he knew when it was time to adapt.

Saban is about the only one who comes to mind

 

[kywildcat41086]

In the coaching world, Nick Saban is a big answer for this. But he was a great coach for a reason...he knew when it was time to adapt.

True and that’s why he kept winning Championships. Then this last year he knew when it was getting time to retire so he retired. That’s the reason Saban is GOAT and Cal will never ever be anything close what Saban ever was… Cal is just here to use this platform for his own agenda he doesn’t give a $hit about anything else. To me that includes being known as a Championship coach.

 

[UK CAT in FL]

How many 64 yr old men have you met in life who have had much success in their field have been willing to change the way they do things, operate etc
As we get older we get more set in our ways and will not change at that stage in our lives. Not mentioning any names.

Your are a good friend!

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Most 64 year old men are retired or close to it.

It's silly coaches, politicians and commentators seem to be able to work until they drop dead.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Most 64 year old men are retired or close to it.

It's silly coaches, politicians and commentators seem to be able to work until they drop dead.

It’s because it’s not really work doing those jobs. They have younger assistants that do all the grunt work.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Cal is milking it for all it’s worth right now. Collecting 10 million a year. Already secured his legacy with NBA draft picks and won a title. Just waiting until the powers that be get so sick of him that they are willing to pay him 33 million just to get rid of him.

Some people call him an idiot, but I think he is playing this out like a genius.

I think he is smart, lazy, and greedy. A dangerous combination for UK, but he is going to come out smelling like a rose.

The rest of the world is going to look at his whole body of work and not care about the last few years. Big Blue Nation is the only ones who will care about the last few seasons.

This is playing out perfectly for him.

And the only reason he might try to improve this season is so maybe he can get another 2-3 10 million dollar seasons in before they wise up.

 

[BlueBomb]

Coach K did it. And won a national championship because of it.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

It’s because it’s not really work doing those jobs. They have younger assistants that do all the grunt work.

I'm sure the money and power help too.

These people areadly get to travel and do the things we want to do when we retire when they are younger due to being rich or well off. So maybe they don't have the same desires normal people do.

 

[ukfan1622]

You don't even have to include success in the equation; I'm 66 and I still make the same dumb mistakes
I've made my entire life.

 

[IL Wildcat]

It's very rare, I would say. I haven't seen any studies on this, but "old dog, new tricks" comes immediately to mind. I think this is part of the reason Coach K and Roy Williams got out when they did. When Calipari came to UK, he was ahead of the curve most of the time. But the game has been changing, and when Covid hit, transfer portal hit, along with NIL, CHANGE in college basketball was shoved violently into overdrive. Humans, in general, are reluctant to change, especially when they've become successful and then comfortable in their success. And the older you get, the more resistant you are to change. If I'm giving Cal credit, I'd say his offensive changes this year were some big steps. But changes in recruiting and team building is another matter, it seems. The coaches who embraced the transfer portal to building did very well this season. Calipari and UK did not. And there are multiple other changes that need to be embraced as well. Honestly. throwing all those changes at anyone all at once would be difficult. Throwing them at a 64 year-old may be too much to ask, but there is no choice in my opinion. It's change or get out of the way.

 

[North Carolina Blue Wildcat]

Realistically, none. Things around us change, like the people in the organization, but most people revert back to what has worked and what they know. We all view college basketball coaches as experts. The reality is that they are only experts in what they know and teach and the most knowledgeable in. They are not experts in all things basketball. Very few, if any, are open to changing things up. If they fail to recognize and recruit kids who fit the program and style of play, they are toast no matter how good the player may be. At its core, basketball is all the same, but having players that comprehend and execute the plan and system on the court simply takes time. We need 3-5 players to return every year so that the learning and application process is sped up.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I'm sure the money and power help too.

These people areadly get to travel and do the things we want to do when we retire when they are younger due to being rich or well off. So maybe they don't have the same desires normal people do.

Exactly!

Why retire when you can make money and travel on someone else’s dime? Like I said, they all have staffs that do the work for them. It’s easy money.

 

[bucsrule8872]

It's very rare, I would say. I haven't seen any studies on this, but "old dog, new tricks" comes immediately to mind. I think this is part of the reason Coach K and Roy Williams got out when they did. When Calipari came to UK, he was ahead of the curve most of the time. But the game has been changing, and when Covid hit, transfer portal hit, along with NIL, CHANGE in college basketball was shoved violently into overdrive. Humans, in general, are reluctant to change, especially when they've become successful and then comfortable in their success. And the older you get, the more resistant you are to change. If I'm giving Cal credit, I'd say his offensive changes this year were some big steps. But changes in recruiting and team building is another matter, it seems. The coaches who embraced the transfer portal to building did very well this season. Calipari and UK did not. And there are multiple other changes that need to be embraced as well. Honestly. throwing all those changes at anyone all at once would be difficult. Throwing them at a 64 year-old may be too much to ask, but there is no choice in my opinion. It's change or get out of the way.

I’m 51 and you ain’t teaching this old dog any new tricks.

 

[BlueSince92]

Miguel de Cervantes published part one of Don Quixote at age 58. Then at 68 he published part two, which deepened the character and is really the work that made Don Quixote legendary and put Cervantes on a level near Shakespeare in western culture.

C.S. Lewis mentioned in 1949, at age 51, in some correspondence with a Roman Catholic cardinal that he felt himself slowing down and thought his best years as a writer were behind him. The next year he published The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Over the next six years he published six sequels, and is by far more famous for those Chronicles of Narnia than for anything else, even though all his work is wonderful and those books are not nearly what you would call his most brilliant apologetics.

Socrates was an old war hero who didn’t die until probably his early seventies and probably started his practice of publicly discussing philosophy with all takers until he was in his sixties.

As a classicist those are the three best candidates that come to mind for me from a timespan of 2500 years. And the only really strong ones, off the top of my head.

Joshua took over from Moses somewhere between the ages of 70 and 80 probably, and led Israel against the Canaanite armies until they took possession of the Holy Land. But he had God helping him out all sorts of miraculous ways that I can’t imagine would be available to Cal.

Cincinnatus came out of the blue and rescued early Rome with his amazing leadership, once at about age 60 and once at about 80. But he is painted as this legendary dude who could have done that at any time and just preferred humility. So he never actually reinvented himself.